Best Overture Ever

fflagg Profile Photo
fflagg
#50re: Best Overture Ever
Posted: 12/30/06 at 12:13pm

GYPSY
110 IN THE SHADE
MY FAIR LADY
THE KING AND I

If you do not like GYPSY go to h*ll.

Or Pittsburgh.


Do you know what happens when you let Veal Prince Orloff sit in an oven too long?

Junior
#51re: Best Overture Ever
Posted: 12/30/06 at 3:19pm

I'm a bit of an overture whore... so I have several favorites:

As others have said: Gypsy, Amour, My Fair Lady

And I also like: Mack & Mabel, Millie, Light in the Piazza, and even though I basically HATE the stage version, I love the overture to Meet Me In St. Louis. I'm such a dork, I've even staged it...

SeanMartin Profile Photo
SeanMartin
#52re: Best Overture Ever
Posted: 12/30/06 at 3:26pm

I admit a certain fondness for THE MAGIC FLUTE.




Hey, c'mon, it was a musical... written in the 1700s, but a musical nevertheless. And it has one hell of an overture.


http://docandraider.com

Copeman63 Profile Photo
Copeman63
#53re: Best Overture Ever
Posted: 12/30/06 at 4:29pm

I'd go with Phantom...

But I also like Mamma Mia! and Gypsy.


If Lincoln were alive today, do you think he'd be pleased with his tunnel?

#55re: Best Overture Ever
Posted: 12/30/06 at 10:03pm

Wow no other fans of the overture to Promises Promises? I can see how it (the first fully mixed and amplified Broadway show--a mixed blessing I admit) really revved up audiences from the first big notes. I dunno if Bacharach or tunick did the overture but I suspect Bacharach did as he was used to doing instrumental pieces from his movies.

I think it's silly and not playing by the rules for people to pick pieces like the WSS Prologue over traditional overtures but I agree with Styne's Funny Girl and Gypsy being superb as well as Candide and Sweet Charity.

I know more often than not the arranger or the orchestrator does the arranging of the overture--Rodgers never did his own I don't think--Russel Bennett did the famous ones anyway and I believe Tunick even did the superb Merrily we Roll Along for Sondheim

E

So what...I sing
#56re: Best Overture Ever
Posted: 12/30/06 at 11:53pm

Phantom and Piazza both give me chills....regardless of what happens after the Overture lol

Phantom's is amazing to watch

Piazza just beautiful to hear.

brad3 Profile Photo
brad3
#57re: Best Overture Ever
Posted: 12/31/06 at 12:00am

Mamma Mia!

elphie_defies Profile Photo
elphie_defies
#58re: Best Overture Ever
Posted: 12/31/06 at 12:05am

Wicked. For me, that overture is like water. For my ears. I just realized that explanation does not make sense.


"Today I start my quest to find my special destiny." - Wicked, pre-Broadway

#59re: Best Overture Ever
Posted: 12/31/06 at 4:37am

ANNIE!

The opening horns of "Tomorrow" is just heartwrenching...

And of course FUNNY GIRL! Better than Gypsy I say. re: Best Overture Ever

rosekwbp Profile Photo
rosekwbp
#60re: Best Overture Ever
Posted: 12/31/06 at 5:05am

Gypsy and Into The Woods (Prologue)

EugLoven Profile Photo
EugLoven
#61re: Best Overture Ever
Posted: 12/31/06 at 5:27am

I'm gonna have to say "Jesus Christ Superstar"
It always gets me so pumped up and ready, energized for a show.

spiderdj82 Profile Photo
spiderdj82
#62re: Best Overture Ever
Posted: 12/31/06 at 8:47am

Jesus Christ Superstar (That electric guitar lets you know you are in for something good)

POTO

Gypsy

Oklahoma


"They're eating her and then they're going to eat me. OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!" -Troll 2

gvendo2005 Profile Photo
gvendo2005
#63re: Best Overture Ever
Posted: 12/31/06 at 11:08am

Agreed on the JCS, but it's only second best to me.

The best overture I have ever heard was the intro to the Meat Loaf album "Bat Out of Hell." I know, it's not a musical, but it's a very theatrical album, soon to become a musical in 2007, and I just love the piano intro, and the motorcycle guitar.


"There is no problem so big that it cannot be run away from." ~ Charles M. Schulz

Annas_Priest Profile Photo
Annas_Priest
#64re: Best Overture Ever
Posted: 12/31/06 at 11:39am

Hands Down 100% Jesus Christ Superstar

Smaxie Profile Photo
Smaxie
#65re: Best Overture Ever
Posted: 12/31/06 at 12:40pm

Regarding the Promises, Promises Overture, I believe it's Tunick's work. I've read somewhere that Bachrach was critical of the orchestrations having too much of a Broadway sound, although I think Tunick did an excellent job imitating Bachrach's style. (In the Follies score, there's a tempo marking, I believe for a section of "The Right Girl" that says "a la Bachrach," although that was probably the work of dance arranger John Berkman).

Some composers proposed layouts for their show's Overture, but it's almost always the work of the orchestrator. (I believe though, that the aforementioned Sondheim did actually write his own dance music for "The Cookie Chase" in Anyone Can Whistle, which is somewhat unusual).


Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop.

BroadwayBulldog
BroadwayBulldog
#67re: Best Overture Ever
Posted: 12/31/06 at 2:22pm


BWW's Favorite Overtures and Entr'Actes Updated On: 12/31/06 at 02:22 PM

BroadwayBulldog
#68re: Best Overture Ever
Posted: 12/31/06 at 2:24pm


BWW's Best Overture Vote Updated On: 12/31/06 at 02:24 PM

BroadwayBulldog
BroadwayBulldog
BroadwayBulldog
allofmylife Profile Photo
allofmylife
#72re: Best Overture Ever
Posted: 12/31/06 at 4:24pm

So we all agree it's Gypsy, right?


http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=972787#3631451 http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=963561#3533883 http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=955158#3440952 http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=954269#3427915 http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=955012#3441622 http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=954344#3428699

ahmelie Profile Photo
ahmelie
#73re: Best Overture Ever
Posted: 12/31/06 at 4:53pm

Or Pittsburgh.

*Angry glare*

I'll go ahead and agree with Gypsy. It seems to be the consensus.


Theatre is a safe place to do the unsafe things that need to be done. -John Patrick Shanley

Julian2
#74re: Best Overture Ever
Posted: 7/13/07 at 9:31pm

Bump.


I have several names, one is Julian2. I am also The Opps Girl. But cross me, and I become Bitch Dooku!

brdlwyr
#75re: Best Overture Ever
Posted: 7/13/07 at 11:35pm

I lean toward Jose #7

Red Lips

Gypsy

JSC!